Tube forming machine



Dea l, 1936. s, BRQWN y 2,062,291

TUBE FORMING MACHINE v Filed Aug. 31, 19:54 4 sheetsfsheer1 3 k? Y 8 2z 41 @das 12 1 @771% 72 l 21 m' j .\e,

J7@ 18 3 Z6 F 3:5:

Dec. l, 1936. Y HQS. BROWN [2,062,291

`TUBE FORMING MACHINE Filed Aug. 51,l 1934 4 sheets-snaaiL 2 Dec. `l, 1936. -H. s. BROWN l 4 2,062,291v

' TUBE FORMING MACHINE l I Filed Aug. 31, 1934 4 sheets-sheet s.4

1I I l l l i 6 /lf 4:15/ (L0 3212' Y l33 Dec.1, 1936. H. s, BRQWN 2,062,291`

'TUBE FORMING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31,l 1.934 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Dec. '1,'y 41936 'rUBE-*FoRMlNG Maquina Herbert S.Brown, y* N f Abplicatiqn August V31, 1934, Serial :No2 '1423211 y; 12 Claims. (Cl, 93?. g0) j',

, I'his invention vrelates to a machine for making spiral tubes,"and 'concerns itself primarily with the means for forming the tube s.

In the past, ithas been'the commonpra'ctice to'wind strips of fibrous material, such as paper or the like, around a mandrel'byv means of a'belt.

I -It has been Afound in practice that a'belt stretches jveryv quickly in use, and that it is difficult to maintain a. positive and* constant tension onthe l0 tube "being Wrapped. Due tothe stretchln'gof the belt in use,`it isimpossible to obtalria uniform tension on a. b elt drive. j

It is an object of this invention to overcome the `above noted objections to a belt drive in the use of a rubber roller `or 4the like that canbe readily adjustedv forL obtaining the desired tensionfwhich YWill also be' uniform'. Further,"th`e rol-1er 'will have a better ironing effect'` upon the'tube [and will/increase the output of suchtubes in additionto'the production of a'bett'e'r product;

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter` described `and more particularly ,pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

Figure 3 is a sectional view takenv upon theline III-III of Figure 2, show`ing the operating parts inelevation. '1 Figure 4' is an Aenlarged sectional View taken substantially-upon 'theV line IV -IV -of`1=igure 2, vshowing in dotted lines the operation of parts. Figure .5" is` lan enlarged sectional View taken upon the line V`V of Figure 1. Figure v6 is an-enlarged planA view of 'the tube forming means and the paper gude'leading thereto, with parts of the machine omitted, and taken substantially upontheline VI- VI of Figure l, looking in the directionfof the-arrows; j *Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional View through a tube showing partsfof the forming means in elevation; v g Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the stationary mandrel, showing the 'cuttings knives vheld in inoperative positions.

Figure 9 is aview similar to Figure' 8, showing the cutting knives in operat'ive'positions. Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional View taken `In the accompanying drawings which illustrate.

direction of the arrows.

Figure llj'isl n 'enlarged sectionalfvievv f direction o f the arrows.

Figure `12V is an enlarged vfragn'nent9.r$,'v verticale.,

looking*` in' the sectional viewfofthe cutting head Eslicjvvzrat" the' i 'may' be 'similarto the basev of a milling machine.

ection o ffay tube, formedfln l Y '115; i l' 1o lica ron of this: invention, rtl 1e r e`.1s, -v y rait/ ings a 'supporting rbase I` which having axtablefor@ platform j2` thereon,' w hlch maybe adjusted its planebymelans ofavcrew o'fascrewLj t,

A; support 5 rises from the platform 2 a d l'this support., sustains a bearing 6 i1'1 ,.w h'i,ch afmetal mandrel 1 shown in section in Figures 8 landA 9 is supportedjfor longitudinal adjustment. 1 At the Y "rear ofthe base I, there is an upright vWall 8 from vl5 Band Whichmaytb'e'vertically adjustedgby'means which there extends 'a horizontal` armor' support f journalled. lThe shaf t "|3 carriesa roller l IIhaving a' yielding "peripherysecured thereon. This v roller 'may ibe formed" o f `y any suitable rnaterial, such Aas* solid ;irubber, for' example, 'which .is Vthe preferable rr'1` at` 'eerial from which'the'present roller S;' madCi"With reference to'A Figures'l and'6`, 'it

will be v'ob'serve`d-jthat the mandrel' ris*` o bliquely arranged withrespect to theA roll Ashalt 'l`il, forthe purpose of rolling the paper web spiral forrrff Thefinter'ior ofthe tube'lsvformel from al 'strip of paper vISunVv'ourni froma reel I6 andpassin'g ,i through a dust remover I1 kwhich may' consist; of 1 which a glue applying" roll I 9- is` mounted. [The 2l and 22 :guide the stripl vI 5- with-thenuapplied toitsbottomifsurface froml the glue box I `8 to a feed roll' @3 th'er'eisa isiaxing4 pad y l'Mfor waxing the A uppersurface ofV thejstripm I5; "This fwaxd surfaceforms the .interior surface j'of theftube. Frox'n the frolll23, the -glued and waxed' strip I5 top thereof.

extending into the guide-way and forming the A second guide block 29 is hinged to the top of the plate 21 and this second guide block has a guide groove 30 in its bottom that overlaps one-half of the guide groove 25. top of the plate 21 is also preferably provided with a shallow guide groove 3l that registers with the guide ,groove 30. The grooves 33 and 3| form a guide-way for a strip of paper 32 which is fed over a vguide roll 23* above the' roll l23 from a reel 34 `located above the reel l I3. v'I'he dirt and dust upon the strip of paper 32y are also removed whenthe same passes througha brush ing device I1 similar to the dust removing device for the strip I3. The rolls I3 and 23* yare journalled in a suitable casing 33 attached -to a bracket 33 rising from the platform 2.

With reference to Figure 5,1it will be noted that the gluedl and waxed strip I3 is below the strip 32 and overlapped thereby. l The 'strips` emerge from the guide-waysin overlapping relation as shown in Figure 6, with the glued face'of the strip I3 uppermost. l l yIt might be here mentioned that the strips are placed in their respective gulidewaysinthe,followingmanner: The block 23 is nrst swung back. then the plate 31k is swung'backpand thegstrip I3v is then inserted in its guidewayrthecplate `21' is swung to its guide-way closing position. then the strip 3l is insertedvin the guide groove of plate 31 and the block 33 is swung thereover. After the two strips have been placed in their 'respectivo guide-ways, V,they are adapted vtc be manually wound aroundthemandrel lbefore starting themachine. However; beior'ethe strips can be manually wound aroundthemandrel to a point under the roller, it might beneoessary to lower the lplatform 3 and mandrel 1by the screw 4. Before starting the machine, the mandrel will `of course be raisedlfor obtaining Ithe 'proper pressure againsty theroller. Wheny the machine is started the roller; I4 will engage the l `strips `on the mandrel' and cause the` same to rotate in a spiral direction around themandrel, and after va predetermined number of revolutions, a certaincuttirig mechanismwill come into action for shearing a suitabielength from thetube.

The shearingA mechanism is -liest illustrated. in Figs. 8 te 13, and in referring to these figures, it lwill be, observed? that the cutting mechanism comprises o circular series ofoentrifusally` setueted knives 33 pivotally mounted upon the outer side surface'ef a ycylindrical head 34. Eachlmife 33 has a ystraight edge 33t, anda curved cutting edge 33D extending from ythe straight edge.A This curved cutting edge 33B terminates in a bluntv or thickened edge ashert distance from the straight edge 33t. .This thickened edgeccntinues-rear wardly. 4ahdlnergeslnto a tail portion comprising an elevated shoulder 331'. i The knives 33, are pivoted to the head k34 by means of pivot screws t 3l which extend eccentrically through the knives et substantially 'the point most remote from the straight-edge 33%. hach knifehas anaperture 33 located adjacent the .shoulder 33t thereof and adjacent the straight edge 3,3% thereof, It will oe noted that each shoulder 33e has an outer curved or arcuate surface 31 facing the sperture 33x .f

The'knife head 34 is securedupontheouter end of arotatable hollow shaft 33 :lournalled in 'I suitable bearings." and 43 in the ends eff the mandrel. The bearing isi in .thefcrm of a sleeve mounted in along bearing sleeve 4l within the hollow shaft. `'The hollow shaft 33 extends The A collar Il ,is secured uponthe. rear beyond the rear end of the mandrel 1 for carry-` ing` a driving pulley 42 secured thereto.

A rod 43 extends through the hollow shaft 33 and lthrough the cutter head 34. Beyond the cutter head, a disk 44 is secured upon the end of the rod 43. The disk 44 has a circular series of pins 45 secured thereon. vThese pins have their inner portions pointedor bevelled, and they are varranged vfor engaging. the r-ape'rtures 36 vin the centrifugal cutters'k when saidzdisk is moved toward the left. The rod 43 has a limited longi- V.Il theshaft 33 is'nowl rotated, the cutterswill moveoutwardly asshown' in Figure 11, for cutting a length from the tube.V The outward,l movement of the cutters is llimited, by the engagement of the Vshoulders 33 .withthe pins 43.v Aftera length ,hasv been shearedl from .thetube, the disc 44 will automatically move to theflefftand the bevelled pins 43 will; engage the. apertures in the cutters and swingvv the'same inwardly of. the perip'h'ery of the disl to the, positions shownwln Figure 10. A

' l Intheevent that the apertures 33 in the cutters: move too far outwardly andout of register with the pins.- the bevelled `endsoi' the pins acting against the shoulders 339 of the cutterswlll swing the same inwardly until said. pins -can Dass into the apertures. *Asa generalfrule. the cutters vwillfl'rstlae swung inwardly a limited `extentby the movement fthe pins against the v shoulders 33. Vofthe 4cutters before said pinsengage the apertures.s f

The hollow shaft 733 is normally restrained against rotation. Itis adaptedfcr slight longitudinal movement in its bearings to engage vand ldlsengage a friction collar 43 thereon with respect toga radial khangs 43 Vonthe bearing". Normally the'collar 43 engages the friction flange 43. being yieldingly held thereagainst by means of a= coll spring located between the bearlngl and the pulley 43. when the rod43 is moved toward the right, the shaft 33 Ywill also V move longitudinally a short distanceV to ther'ight'as shownin-Figure 9, as will presently-appear.

'end of the rod 43 onda coil spring" ls positioned between said collar. and the outer end of the ..pulley., A lever 33 engages the rear end of the rod 4 3 withthe result that-:when` said lever 33 isactuated. the springllwiil be compressed for moving the pulley 43 andk shaft 33 ytoward the right; the spring 33 which isga weaker one. will be compressedgas shown in Figure `3g. `when the rod 4311s in its lncperative position as shown in Figure B, the hub ofthe eollarfis spaced a short distance-from the l,

rear end ofthe-shaft 33. However..,when the rod y43is moved'tc therleht to releasethe cutters, the

hub of collar` ltwillengagetheend-of the shaft 33 and limit further relative longitudinal movetive longitudinal movement with; respect to l shaft 33 whereby 4the .pins will` always be properly spaced with respect to the cutters.

The lever I3 is'fulcrumed intermediate its A'ends upcna pivot Il (Fig. 2) attachedtc a bracket I4 -f extending from the wall' l.v Extending upwardly from the support 3, there la a bracket I3 support- 2,062,291 ing a sprocket wheel 51. The br'acket 56 has a M .end of thelever v59 has a laterally directedtail portion 62 having a sloping surfaceadapted to be engaged by a lug 63 on the sprocket wheel 51g The lug 631 has' a sloping surface 64 adapted for engaging the sloping tail' portion 62 ofthe lever 59 andfshifts .the latter as shown in dotted lines'in Figure 4, .for causing the sloping edge 6| 'on the block 60 to'shift lever l53 asindicated in dotted lines in Figure f4. This shifting of lever 53 will move rod 43 for disengaging `the pins'from the cutter knives. i -v l As the lug 63 rides off the tail portion62 of thelever 59,k a spring 65 (Fig. 3) which 'connects' the lever 59 -with the bracket- 56 comes into action for returning such leverto its normal position. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the cutting knives arereleased once during each rotation of the sprocket wheel 51 caused by the-sprocket chain 66 which is driven by a sprocket wheel 61'secured upon-'the roll shaft :13.

The shaft I3 is driven by a belt 68 trained over a pulley B9 secured upon the shaft I3 which extends through the Wall 8.` Suitable bearings 10 and 1l are provided upon the wall 8 f or the shaft I3. The ybelt 68 is driven by a suitablemotor 12 (Fig. 1) supported upon the edge of the wall 6.`

The cutter shaft 38 is periodically rotated by a belt 13 which is trained over the pulley 42 thereon.

The belt 13 is driven -by 'a motor r14 (Fig...1)se cured upon the bottom of the platform and having a slip connectionwith one of its pulleys when the cutter shaft is frictionally retained.

If desirable, a chain tightening means may be employed in connection with the sprocket chain 66. In the drawings, a small sprocket. wheel 15 mounted upon a bracket 16 attached to the bracket 56 is shown as engaging the chain 66 just below the sprocket wheel 51 for such a purpose.

In Figure 13, there is shown a section 11 of a tube formed in this machine. This section, during the operation of the machine, or similar sections are cut from the tube as soon as a sufficient length projects beyond the end of the mandrel 1.

While the operation of the machine should be understood from the foregoing, it is desired to point out that the roller I4 engages the rear portion of the already formed tube on the mandrel as shown in Figure 6 and causes a turning movement thereof. The4 yielding rubber serves to frictionally engage the tube and. cause the same to rotate around the mandrel. The rubber surface of the roll has a high degree of friction in contact with the tube and practically no slipping tendency. The two strips I5 and 32 are not engaged by the roll as they reach the mandrel, but passto the mandrel beyond one end of the roller. It will be noted that the unglued strip 32 rolls over the adjacent half of strip I5 to the right' and over the adjacent half of strip l5 to the left and is glued over the juncture of the edges of strip I5 as the strips are coiled in a spiral around the mandrel. The roller I4 ,not only causes the rotation of the tubes around the mandrel, it also irons the strip 32 over adjacent parts of strip I5 and glues the same thereon. It might be mentioned that the platform 2 that carries the mandrel may be vertically adjusted to vary the operative relation between the mandrel and roller to vary the pressure exvmaterial'betweenthemandrel and roller.

It will be appreciated thatthe useof La'roller working over a fstationary mandrel lwill exert a positive andl constant pressure that may `be 'inerted by the m11 and to admit the tube forming f creased or decreased. It .is'also possible to speed v up the roller and increase"theycapacity of` the machine without any'liabilityof 'damaging the tute.V At the same timafthemiler.winvexeriseV an ironing vTeffect to produce a smoothtube due to the vpressure that isexerted thereby.. IfA the tube is waxed upon the interior, such wax-caribe pressed into 'any indentations in `the pa-per and intoany crevices occurring between adjacentl coils, farmore eifectivelyfthan r`is-possiblefwith the use of abelt.r A l I amaware that-m nychanges l'may be made and numerous'de'tails of construction may' be 'va'- ried through a wide range without' departing from the principles of thisf'inventiomjand I -therefore,. u do not purpose limiting-the patent granted hereon 'I otherwise thannecessitated by thveprior'art.` i

l. In' 'a tube formlngf-machinefa vvertically adjustabledplatform, a stationary mandrel supported uponsaidfplatform, a vertical member ad- .jacent said platform, an' arm' extending from said member inoblique relation to .said mandrel, a bearing carried by said arm, 'a shaft journalled inY said member f and*v bearing and a roller 'secured to said shaft for cooperating with said mandrel." f

2'. In a'machine of theclassdescribed, a" mandre1,} av roller cooperating `withV said mandrel, means includin'gfa rotatable member for rotating said roller;a cutter'shaftextendingthrough said mandrel, cutting' elements carriedA byv said shaft,- means for normally restraining said shaft against rotation, and means periodically operated by said .rotatable member for shifting said'cutter'shaft for the purpose set forth.

3. In a` machine of the class described, a mandrel,fa roller cooperating with said mandrel, driving mechanism for said roller including a rotat-` able member, a cutter yshaft extendingthrough `said mandrel, centrifugally actuated cutters cariA ried by said shaft, means for retaining saidv cutters against centrifugal movement, frictional'means for normally retaining said cutter shaft against rotation, a rod extending through said shaft and l `having means for controlling said cutters, and

means periodically actuated by said rotatable member forshifting said rod and shaft for the purpose set'forth. i

4. In a machine of the class described, a mandrel, a roller cooperating with said mandrel,

Ameans for rotating said roller including a rotat- `able member, a shaft extending' through said mandrel, centrifugal .cutters mounted upon said shaft beyond the end of'said mandrel, means including a rod extending through'said shaft for controlling said cutters,` means'for periodically restraining said shaft against rotation, and means periodically operated by said rotatable member .for shifting said rod and shaft for thepurpos'eset forth.

' 5. In a machine of the class described, a mandrel, a roller cooperating with said mandrel for forming a spiral tube, means for operating said roller including a rotatable member, centrifugalV cutters at` theend of said mandrel for shearing the tube, a hollow shaft extending through said mandrel and supporting said cutters, a rod extending through said shaft and having means for engaging and shifting said cutters, and meansr periodically operated by said rotatable member forcontrolling said rod and cutter shaft.

6. In a machineof the class described, aman1 drel, a roller cooperating with said mandrel for forming a spiral tube, means including a rotatable member for rotatinglsaid roller,4 centrifugal cutters at the end `of said mandrelffor shearing `said tube, means for normally maintaining said 8. In a machine of -theclass describedfa hollow mandrel, a rollerfcooperating with said mandrel, a member extending through said mandrel, centrifugal cutters attached to said member at the end of said mandrel, a rod extendingv through saidmember and havingkmeans for engaging and moving said cutters and maintaining theY same `in an inoperative position, driving means including a rotatable member for operating said roller and means periodically actuated by -said rotatable member for shifting said rod for releasing said cutters. i

9. In a machine of the class described, a hollow mandrel, a roller cooperating with said mandrel, a hollow shaft extending through said mandrel, centrifugal cutters pivotally mounted upon said shaft beyond the end of said mandrel, a rod extending through said shaft, a circular series of aoeaaei pins carried by said rod beyond said cutters, said cutttershaving holes, to receive saidr pins,.yieid' ing means `for normally maintaining `saidfrod with said pins in engagement with saidv holes, means for rotating said miler including a rotatable member and means periodically'operated by said rotatable member for'shiftlng said rod for disengagingfsaid pins from s aid cutters.

, 10. .In a `spiral tube formingnmachine, a horizontal shaft, a roller secured to usaidshaftda mandrel extending obliqueiytosaid roller in ,operative relation therewith, meansv for adjusting said mandrel to and from said roller, andmeans for voperatingsaid shaft for rotating and ywinding material on said mandrel. A

11. 'In a tube forming machine,l a mandrel, asingleroller cooperating with said mandrel for drawing and winding material thereon, -a shaft sam rouer Iio extending coaxialiy through said mandreL-cutting 1 elements carried by said shaft, drivingmechanism for said roller and means including a slidable ele,- ment extending -thrOliEh said mandrel and responsive to said drivlng mechanism for controlinglsaid cutters. Y .vv -l l2. In a tube forming machine, a mandrel, va single roller cooperating with said mandrel and forming the soie means for winding material upon said mandrel, means for operating said roller including a rotatable member, cutting mechanism at the end of said mandrel for` severing tubes, a '.slidable element extendingthrough said mandrel forcontrolling said cuttingl mechanism .and meansresponsive to said moving vsaid slidabie element in one direction.

HERBER'TVS. BROWN.

rotatable member for 

